Four Letter Words: A Tiva Holiday One-Shot
by Taygeta
Summary: Post-10x10 "You Better Watch Out". Spoilers. Just some cute Tiva-ness. Could be a part of my Tiva series timeline, but totally stands alone as a piece. Happy holidays to all my readers!


**Four Letter Words: A Tiva Holiday One-Shot**  
By Taygeta

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**Author's Note**: Some Tiva Fluff after 10x10 - You Better Watch Out.

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Ziva had the signet ring in her hands. She was back at her desk where Tony had asked her to look after it for a second while he had to go to the bathroom. He had scurried off like a little boy after a long school field trip. Meanwhile, Mr. Dinozzo was having a tour of Abby's lab including a play-by-play of all of her holiday decorations. Having already gone on the tour, Ziva and Tony had figured they'd be awhile.

Ziva observed the ring in her hands, the gold and the diamond. It was heavier than it looked and the diamond glinted under the lights of her desk. It shone brighter, perhaps, because the rest of the office was dimly lit.

Looking at it, she couldn't help but think about the interaction between Tony and Mr. Dinozzo earlier and smile:

"I love you."

"I love you, son."

She felt her heart melt a little, knowing how much this moment meant to both of them. She also knew it must have meant a lot for Tony to say those words first.

The word "love" was never an easy word for him.

Even under truth serum it failed to be a word in his vocabulary, to even simply express why he would risk his life to save her. She would not have thought it romantic if she had heard it then. Lying on the floor McGee wouldn't have either. There would be no confusion there.

But he would have rather struggled through a "I couldn't live without you, I guess" then say anything like that word.

So it was nice to hear him say it to his Dad. It meant more than it would any other set of people.

As she looked at the ring, she knew that perhaps this might have been the only thing that would have bridged the gap between Tony and his father. She knew how much that family ring meant to him too, why it had the power to change his mind.

They had had lunch a few weeks ago and he had been talking about it...again.

"It's just that little bit of family history, that nostalgic element that I guess - I never really got," said Tony. "Growing up everyone else I was around seemed to have that. History tied to the Mayflower or bloodlines that ran as far back as some royal British bloodline. There were books and heirlooms and houses and castles even. Me? I could say it. The Dinozzo Family Tree - 'how lovely art thou branches' - but I didn't have anything that really could tie myself to that the tree."

"It's just a ring, Tony. History is … something you can always make for yourself," she tried to reason.

"Ziva, I think I've probably spent a good part of my life trying to make my own history," said Tony. "But it's just not the same, you know?"

And she knew. As encouraging as she was trying to be, she knew what it was like to lose everything - people that you love, places that you made - and have to let go. Rebuilding was filled with hope, but history that you want to keep is a gift you often can't give yourself. History needed people and you had to trust people to make that happen.

And it was hard to do that without love.

She remembered reaching across the table and putting her hand over his.

"I know."

He met her eyes and smiled.

She always liked this type of smile on his face, the kind that made her know that she was making him smile.

"Beautiful, huh?"

Tony's voice broke into her thoughts. She looked up to see that he had returned. She smiled and gently put the ring back into the box.

"Yes," she said, handing him back the box. "You wouldn't want to lose that."

He looked at the ring and then back at her, "Wouldn't dream of it." After a second he added, "That's why I knew I was leaving it in safe hands."

"So is your father staying around?" she asked.

He nodded, "A few days. Promised he'd help me out with some after Christmas Day sales."

"Oh? Buying anything in particular?" she asked. "Can't possibly be a new TV..."

"Let's just say I have a bed to burn and a new one to buy," said Tony.

Ziva raised her eyebrows.

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

She nodded, figuring she probably didn't, "Well, it was probably about time you got rid of that Twin size bed, huh?"

He looked around them at the empty office and cleared his throat, "You're not supposed to know that."

She grinned widely, "I'm not supposed to know a lot of things." She glanced at the picture of him she had taped to her monitor, the one of his schoolboy days, and added, "I think he'd approve of the upgrade. He'd probably say that it was about time you moved on."

Tony sat on the side of her desk and said, "Why do you still have that there?"

She looked at it fondly and then met his eyes, "I find his homeliness to be increasingly...charming."

He stood up from her desk and said, "Well then I will confess that when I said 'beautiful' earlier, I - um - wasn't talking about the ring."

Their lingering glance and smiles were interrupted by a "Junior...!"

Tony exhaled and said, "Dad...how was the tour through Abby's Wonderful World of Holiday Elftown?"

"I'd be offended by that," said Abby, who had her arm in the crook of Mr. Dinozzo's arm, "But I find that to be a compliment."

"It was lovely!" said Mr. Dinozzo who was met by the wide grin of NCIS' resident elf.

"I guess we should be heading out," said Tony. "You following us out, Abby?"

She nodded, "Mr. Dinozzo said he was going to escort me out - nice and proper."

Tony raised his eyebrows, "That's my dad...always so...nice and proper."

"Ziva? You want to head out with us?" asked Abby.

"Oh, I have a few things to pack up. I did a little holiday shopping at lunch," she replied standing up. "So you guys should go on ahead."

She gave Abby a hug and Mr. Dinozzo a hug and a kiss on the cheek, "It was so wonderful to spend time with you two tonight."

"Junior?"

"Yes, Dad?" said Tony.

"Why don't you help Ziva bring her packages to her car?" said Mr. Dinozzo. "I can escort Abby and then meet you at your car?"

Abby smiled, "That sounds like an excellent - and proper - idea."

"Um...yeah, I guess so," said Tony whose words were half-heard as the would-be Santa Dinozzo and Elf Abby Scuito were already heading toward the elevator before hearing his response.

Ziva laughed at the sound of the elevator closing, "Your father is very..."

"Pushy?" said Tony.

"Hmm...resourceful," said Ziva as she handed him a green shopping bag.

Tony sighed as he took it in his hand, "I suppose that is a good adjective for the Senior Dinozzo."

They walked to the elevator and made idle talk about other holiday plans. Ziva was going to a few potluck parties and felt like she had to go to the grocery store nearly every day for the past two weeks.

Walking into the elevator, Tony pressed the button for the parking garage level and after a moment, Ziva pressed the "Stop" button.

Tony leaned in to give her a kiss.

When he pulled away, she said, "Merry Christmas."

"I thought you didn't celebrate Christmas."

"But I am a fan of the holiday season," she said with a smile.

"Oh," he said giving her another kiss. "I'm beginning to find that the holiday season can be very surprising." After a moment he said, "I love you."

She smiled, "I love you too."

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and let himself have one last look at her before he reluctantly resumed their elevator ride.

In the parking garage, they stopped by Ziva's car to place her shopping bags. Tony's car was parked a few spots away where Mr. Dinozzo stood waiting. Ziva walked over and gave Mr. Dinozzo another hug good-bye.

"In case I miss you when you actually do leave," she said.

"Oh I'm going to make sure I see you my dear. And, really I am sure I am the one that misses being in the presence of your loveliness," said Mr. Dinozzo. "I'm not quite so lucky here with Junior who gets to be in your presence almost every day."

Tony sighed from where he stood by his car, "Dad, we probably should go. I think Ziva has to head home."

Ziva smiled and said to Tony, "Have a good night, Tony. Say 'hi' to Kate."

As she walked away, she smiled as she heard Mr. Dinozzo say, "How does she know about Kate?"

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Hope you enjoyed this one-shot! Happy Holidays to all my readers! Thanks for reading and all your awesome feedback.


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